Indie Film Trailer - Algeny: The Genetic Factor

Since it's Indie Movie Monday (#IndieMM), I thought I'd post up this indie film trailer, "Algeny: The Genetic Factor," by Andrew Burroughs (director/writer/producer). Check it out!

"The Trailer for the Award Winning Movie. winner of the HBO Martha's Vineyard Best Feature."

Note: For more info on the film, check out the website. Thanks for reading!

(p.s. If you have a project(s) you'd like me to check out (i.e. fan trailer, short, spoof, animation, etc), feel free to contact me here or through my Facebook Page. I'm always on the lookout for fresh stuff from emerging filmmakers!)



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Green Zone (2010)

"What's going on with the INTEL? There's nothing there. The INTEL is no good."

- Green Zone

Recently, I had the opportunity to see this film. Let me just say, it's a very powerful film with a very powerful message.

This movie really portrays how easily information can be manipulated and spread to make people believe it as truth. And, this film really is about truth and the trust we place in our government that they will always tell us the truth. At face value, can we really trust what our government tells us and accept it as truth?

In the film, it really shows the consequences that can happen when we accept everything the government says as truth. Failing to question those things as truth even when it does not make sense can really have a negative impact on a country and its people.

In a sense, this movie portrays two types of people - those that accept what is said as truth, and those that question. It is people who question what is said as truth, such as the main character Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (played by Matt Damon), who can really make a difference in our society and our world.

Those who question challenge those who take all things said as fact. Even if these things come from their own government. And, it is those who question who are able to reveal the truth and the true intentions of the government themselves.

Sometimes the truth can be ugly. And, yes - sometimes people cannot handle the truth. But, who is to say the truth should not be revealed? Who is to say we should not know the truth? Our government?

Why do we continue to allow our government to make decisions for us? It is the same question Roy Miller had in the film. Why are we here? Are we all just pawns in a scheme for our own government's self interest?

Is our government so powerful that it thinks it can do anything in the name of self interest alone? Even if it means destroying an entire country and its people.

These are the types of issues that are brought up in the film. And, it is these issues that truly had an effect on me. It showed me the power of governments and the power of influence over its people.

Though, this film was not all about the doom and gloom - it was also about hope. It showed what can happen when people question and play a pro-active role in truly wanting to make a difference in the world.

In the end, it showed how information can be used to tell the truth through technology and the mediums we have today. One of the most important mediums is the Internet.

With the Internet, information can spread like wild fire. No longer are we limited to the traditional forms of media and communication (i.e. television, newspapers, magazines, etc).

Now, we can take control and truly make a difference with the power of the Internet. And, the best thing about it is that we can send our message to the world right at our fingertips. Imagine making a difference in the world with one click of a button.

I must admit, this movie has some pretty heavy issues - it really made me think. It made me think about the world we live in and the types of things that are happening right now as I sit and write this review.

There are other people in the world who do not live in a country like ours. There are other people in the world who may live in a country destroyed and ruined by a country such as ours. It truly gave me something to think about. And, a movie that gives me something to think about is definitely one worth watching in my book.

I'll end this review with the most powerful quote in the movie,

"It's not for you to decide what happens here."

If you're in the mood for an action type movie that makes you think, I definitely recommend this one.

Film Gurl's 15 Minute Rule: PASS

Happy movie watching!

p.s. If you've joined my Facebook Page already, I just wanted to say "thanks" for your support. If you know anyone else who may have an interest in film and movies, feel free to send them over. Thanks!



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Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Recently, I re-visited this movie. It's one of those films I can watch over and over again - it's very unique and unlike your traditional comedy type movie.

What I really enjoy about this film is that it's relatable on so many levels. There are references to so many things that remind me of my childhood days. From the tetherball game, the rollerblades, the "Glamour Shot" type business by Deb, those small little homemade friendship bracelets, etc. This film is truly a blast from the past.

It's funny because I remember a lot of these things growing up. And, I think weaving this with the issues Napoleon, portrayed by Jon Heder, faces as an adolescent really blends well to make an entertaining movie.

When I first saw this film, I thought this movie was actually set back in the past. However, looking closer into the film and researching it a bit revealed that it actually was set in modern day time.

What the director wanted to portray was that there are actually people out there today living life as if they were in the past. And, I think that is what truly makes this film unique.

This movie makes you think it's set in the past. But, what it's really about and this is the twist is that it's really about people who live in the past. And, this is portrayed by so many characters throughout the movie.

I think the character who portrays it the best is Napoleon's uncle, Uncle Rico (portrayed by Jon Gries) who continues to reminisce about his high school days as a football star. To him, this was the most exciting time of his life. He even went so far as to look into a way to go back - a way to travel back in time to his glory days. If only he could go back.

Uncle Rico's Time Machine



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Though this film portrays those who live in the past, it also has a message - life goes on. We all like to think back about the past and some of the good times we had. Though, time does not stand still. Things change. And, with change people must adapt.

This main theme of change and adapting to change is portrayed very well at the end. The characters end up adapting to change and move forward with their lives. Though life isn't always perfect and what we expect it to be, it's there. And, sometimes we just need to appreciate what we have - not what we don't have.

If you're in the mood for a comedy type movie, I highly recommend this one.

Film Gurl's 15 Minute Rule: PASS

(Note: For those who are fans of the movie, check out the dance scene remake. Very cool!)

Happy movie watching!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!



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Indie Web Series - The Kin Journey Begins: Who Are Really Our Friends?

Since it's Indie Movie Monday (#IndieMM), I thought I'd share with you this new web series I saw as a preview for Iron Man 2. It looked pretty interesting, so I thought I'd share it with you. Check it out!

"Rosa is a nice girl with 954 'friends' in her social network. We gave her a KIN and sent her on a journey to meet them in person to see if her 'friends' are really her friends."

Note: For more info on the project, check out the website. Thanks for reading!

(p.s. If you have a project(s) you'd like me to check out (i.e. fan trailer, short, spoof, animation, etc), feel free to contact me here or through my Facebook Page. I'm always on the lookout for fresh stuff from emerging filmmakers!)



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Iron Man 2 (2010)

"Anything can be achieved through technology."

- Iron Man 2

For those who follow my through twitter, you probably know how much I've been really looking forward to this movie - I've been tweeting about it all week. When I first saw the trailer, I knew I definitely wanted to go out and see it - I'm glad I did.

(Note: If you haven't seen the first "Iron Man" film or you've seen it but may need a refresher, I highly recommend seeing it first before you go out and see this movie. There are a few recurring characters and parts of the film that relate to the prior movie).

This film is really a movie about technology and the power of technology. The above quote sums it all. But, technology can go both ways - either for the good or for the bad. And, this is determined by the one who holds it.

On one hand, you have Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.) who believes he has achieved his father's, Howard Stark, dream of world peace through Iron Man (aka his alter ego). And, yes for awhile world peace had been achieved.

Though, on the other hand you find Ivan Vanko (played by Mickey Rourke) who has a vengeance for Tony Stark and his family. And, also Justin Hammer (played by Sam Rockwell), Stark's new business rival, a business weapons maker, who only cares about profit and gain no matter what the costs even if it means creating war.

(Note: I won't go into the reason why here as I don't want to spoil it for those who have not seen the film. If you've seen the movie, you'll know what I'm talking about).

The technology here in question is not only the "Iron Man" suit, which the United States government is trying to seize, but also information. It's the information that is valuable. Why?

Information is a blueprint for what is possible. With information, anything can be achieved through technology. (This is what the quote above is referring to).

However, though information is out there and available there are some things that can be easily achieved by just having the "blueprint," and those that require more thought. Sometimes there is a point where existing information can no longer help and what is needed is vision - imagination to creatively think beyond what is seen by the eye.

(Note: Here, I'm referring to a point in the film where imagination was the key. And, through imagination a new technology was born. If you've seen the film, you'll know what I'm talking about).

In a way, I think this film was making a statement about the kind of world we have today. There are lots and lots of products out there on the market. Anyone can take a product and copy it especially today with the amount of information we have available.

But, it takes skill and imagination to create something truly great and unique - something different. And, that innovation is what sets "the greats" from the "not so greats".

Though I don't really consider myself that much of a comic book type person, I really enjoyed this movie. This is definitely an action type movie - lots of big explosions and special effects. It kept my attention throughout the film.

As for the story, I thought it played true to the character of Iron Man. I especially enjoyed how they incorporated some references to some other comic book type characters.

(Note: If you've seen the film, you'll know what I'm talking about).

I enjoyed seeing both Samuel L. Jackson, and Scarlett Johansson in the movie playing their respective roles.

(Note: I didn't put here the characters they portrayed as I don't want to spoil it for those who have not seen the film. However, I will say I thought Scarlett Johansson was in some really awesome scenes near the end).

Also, I thought it was pretty interesting to see Jon Favreau, who plays Happy Hogan, since he directed the film. He did a great job and his character was very funny at times in the movie.

Apart from the story and the characters, I really enjoyed the level of comedy in the film. Not only did it have a lot of action, but I found myself laughing many times throughout the movie. I especially liked the courtroom scene in the beginning, it was classic!

Overall, I really enjoyed this film. It had it all - action, comedy, insight and most importantly, conflict. (The main ingredient of "My 15 Minute Rule"). Above all, I found it to be very entertaining - it definitely was a very fun movie to watch.

If you're in the mood for an action type film, I highly recommend this one.

Film Gurl's 15 Minute Rule: PASS

Happy movie watching!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!



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Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)

"Sometimes I have bad days."

- Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

When I first read about this movie from my tweep's, @ReelTalker, blog post it sounded really interesting. So, I decided to go ahead and check it out.

This was a really interesting but weird film for me at the same time. It started out very "eerie" and then progressed into more of a detective story. Yet, it wasn't an ordinary detective story only about a case. It was a detective story about the detective himself - the "Bad Lieutenant" (played by Nicholas Cage).

Basically, the movie has two stories - the story about the case and the story about the life of the detective (aka the "Bad Lieutenant").

As the film progresses, it shows the dark side of the detective and his ways of coping with his vices and addictions. And, these addictions turn out to be highly addictive in nature. (If you've seen the movie, you'll know what I'm talking about).

There are some scenes in the movie that really had shock value - it's like something that just came out of nowhere. As I watched, I was in awe at some of the actions that the detective took. At one point in the film, it got to be really out of hand - almost to the point where the "Bad Lieutenant" becomes psychotic. (I don't want to ruin it for you, but let's just say there's a lot of "madness" that goes on in this film).

To be honest, this movie really felt like a novel. Basically, it portrayed the life of a detective and his ways of coping with his many vices in life. At one point in the film, it almost made me believe that his vices would destroy him. Though, there was a small twist and change in events at the end, which really did surprise me.

Personally, I really wanted to like this film - I think it had a good story. Though, I just feel it wasn't executed very well.

Instead of a movie, this film really felt like a novel - it just kept going on and on portraying each event as a scene. At one point, I wasn't really sure how they would end it - it just felt like it would keep going on. It lacked focus.

As for the ending, it was more "open ended" - I didn't feel like I got a sense of closure. I felt the story had potential. Though, I feel it just wasn't very well executed and put together. It's like they just kind of threw a bunch of bits and pieces together which really didn't bring things together at the end. It just didn't have that punch.

Overall, I think this film had an interesting story to tell. Though, it just didn't do it for me in the execution. If you've been contemplating seeing this movie, I'd say it's best to pass on it.

Film Gurl's 15 Minute Rule: FAIL

(Note: For all the fans of the film, these are just my thoughts - it just didn't do it for me).

Happy movie watching!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!



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Indie Film Trailer - 8: The Mormon Proposition

Since it's Indie Movie Monday (#IndieMM), I thought I'd post up this indie film trailer, "8: The Mormon Proposition." (I first found out about this indie film from my tweep @FilmSnobbery (thank you!) I thought this article on the film by my tweep, @FilmSnobbery was especially interesting. Check it out!

"8: The Mormon Proposition exposes the Mormon Church's historic involvement in the promotion and passage of California's Proposition 8 and the religion's secretive, decades—long campaign against gay rights. The film takes place in California and Utah as Mormons, following their prophets call to action, wage spiritual warfare with money and misinformation against gay citizens, doing everything they can to deny them of marriage and the rights that come with it. 8: The Mormon Proposition opens in theaters on June 18th, 2010, two years after the first gay marriages took place in California (June 17th, 2008)."

Note: For those interested, here's an interesting video talking more in depth about the film and the issue.

(p.s. If you have a project(s) you'd like me to check out (i.e. fan trailer, short, spoof, animation, etc), feel free to contact me here or through my Facebook Page. I'm always on the lookout for fresh stuff from emerging filmmakers!)



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